Bal diwas!

Like in a dead conversation where you wouldn't mind breaking the silence even with the worst of jokes, I would like to break the silence here with an Uber-bad joke:

Q> What was the name of Pavarotti's mistress??
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A> Missi-roti

Go on, kill me.

Inquilab zindabad!!! :D

अनेकता में एकता

Imagine!

If amongst the 365 days that we spend bickering, sabre-rattling, haranguing, wounding and killing each other around the world, we select one day to remember our one-ness..

If we realise that those petty plots of the most prized possession of humans, land, is nothing but one large living entity with a mind of its own...

If we digest the simple fact that long before we humans were here, this planet was one and hopefully by the time we are done, it shall remain the same...

If we don't feel the need spend so much of our intelligence, our creativity, our passion and our toil on competing with others who are our own.

Forget just your neighbours. Imagine, if the whole world was one!

I am unable to imagine beyond a point.
I am unable to dream what seems unachievable.

But, I am ready to try.

It started with Pangea. It shall end with the same.

The video is that of Kenyans singing the Indian national Anthem to mark Pangea Day. There are other similar renditions (as related videos).

It sounds anything but discordant to me, the sounds of one-ness.

Pangea day is a phenomenal concept. Understand it. I have just begun to try.

Oh no you don't!

10 Months is more than enough, don't you think?

:)

Quarter back

Let's hurry up, shall we?
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Relax.

Best-est medicine

C&H; 03-03-91

Quarter-Life crisis

Picked from Iyer's blog who took it up from some other place.

All you 18-40(?) year olds, read.



It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job; and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.

You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender.

We call it the "Quarter-life Crisis."

Haste

She's all growing up.

And I can't be there to see it.

Opportunities, Globalisation, Distances, Money, Opportunities

:(

Nuovo Rosa

Hear ye Hear ye,

Could there BE a worse representation of love than a Rose? Although they are pretty, they remain so only as long as one is careful enough to keep it in water and a pretty vase. And even then, eventually in a week or two, they shall die and wilt away. And there is absolutely nothing else you can do with a rose other than display it or keep a wilted one as a bookmark.

What does this say for a person gifting it to his beloved? Something like:

"My feelings for you can never be permanent even if you put in the best of efforts."

"I put up with you only because you are as pretty as this flower."

"You are but a trophy to show off or at best, a great source of nostalgia"

It represents one's love as transitional, based on superficial looks and selfish.

















A conundrum, isn't it? Fear not, Fear not. I have a way out.

A potato.

Yes, A potato. A potato just left in a sack, survives for long. Also before starting to rot, gives birth to more sprouts and thereby continues the circle of life. It eventually will survive longer than Osama Bin Laden under the (metaphorical) bombardment of arrogance. You can't get rid of a potato unless you make jeera aaloo or fries out of it, which is possible even if the shoots are sprouting all around (This author is testament to that fact). A Potato is often quite ugly and what is astounding is the great potential it carries within. Other than it being an obvious edible target, a boiled potato is still used by Indian railways to stick reservation charts to the walls and by the geekier kind to make a battery. From the exterior, it might seem to be the ugliest thing next to my landlord, but any hostel cook would swear by its versatility.

What does the gift of a potato say?

"I'll love you forever for who you are. Not only due to your looks , not to put you on a pedestal as a showpiece, not to just smell and look at but to actually get involved with you in almost all aspects of life. You are the person with whom I want to continue the circle of life. "

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, next time...

Gift a potato. Not a bloody rose!

:D

Wordly Cup

I like this world cup venue.

I like the audience too.

I can't stop thanking the cameramen!


:D

Bhordly Bhise...

So I began:

Late to bed and Early to rise,
makes a man squirmy, sulky and riled.

Then my PJ protege added:

Late to bed and Early to rise,
more one fails, the less one tries.

The yield of a chat between me and Sandy (now onwards its a state of constant flux):

Late to bed and Early to rise,
all day in office he just sits and cries.

Late to bed and Early to rise,
day-in and day-out he just sits and whines.

Late to bed and Early to rise,
all day in office he doodles strange signs.

Late to bed and Early to rise,
day-in and day-out gulps bottles of wine.

And the bottomline:

Late to bed and Early to rise,
is story eternal, thine and mine.

I LOVE the fact that we get paid to do this!!! :D :D :D

Baby steps..

What makes people ask babies to just walk and not run? What makes them express surprise when the baby suddenly wobbles and runs or jumps, in imitation of the giants around it?

I started to write and realised that there is nothing I can say here that can make any difference. No more cribbing.

Acta non Verba

My Scream.

Scream by Munch


My Scream by Me.

My work joy-trip.

Well, I do have an excuse. The map above explains. Pink are routes travelled once upon. Green are the routes I had a return trip on. And Blue dots are the places I've been to (No mood to name each one of them). Total travel comes to about 6500 KMs. 12 places in 25 days.

Had fun. :)

And ya, , I worked too... I think... Maybe... I guess..... Did I?

So, What are your plans for........

Its just another month-end. What's the bloody big deal? Eh?

Go home. Sleep. Wake up. Its just another day!

Tarot

You are the Hanged Man

Self-sacrifice, Sacrifice, Devotion, Bound.

With the Hanged man there is often a sense of fatalism, waiting for something to happen. Or a fear of
loss from a situation, rather than gain.

The Hanged Man is perhaps the most fascinating card in the deck. It reflects the story of Odin who offered himself as a sacrifice in order to gain knowledge. Hanging from the world tree, wounded by a spear, given no bread or mead, he hung for nine days. On the last day, he saw on the ground runes that had fallen from the tree, understood their meaning, and, coming down, scooped them up for his own. All knowledge is to be found in these runes.

The Hanged Man, in similar fashion, is a card about suspension, not life or death. It signifies selflessness, sacrifice and prophecy. You make yourself vulnerable and in doing so, gain illumination. You see the world differently, with almost mystical insights.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Yeah Right!!! :))

Sultans of swing

And a crowd of young boys theyre fooling around in the corner
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies & their platform soles
They dont give a damn about any trumpet playing band
It aint what they call rock and roll
And the sultans played creole

It is very scary to let go. Let go of something you didn't realise to be an extrinsic part of your life. But some wiseguy (wise-ass?) said: "If you love something, then let it be." ... Or something like that. Maybe I am just plain cynical. Maybe I am not positive enough. Maybe I am too pragmatic. But whatever the case, I belive that , the solution lies in the above statement.

Remember the old man and the butterfly's cocoon? Everyone has their own cocoon. Some break out. Some are reluctant. Some are way too vigorous. Some... just die in their cocoons. Never make it out. But each one who makes it out, albiet at different level of enthusiasm, has its own unique beauty. A vivid mesmerising pattern of colours and hues. Some flit around together. Some go in search for nectar all alone. Some just go on to a whole new forest. This isn't something to be sad about or overtly happy about. Its just something that happens.

And there is the account of the hanging of three men, and a scuba diver, and a suicide. There are stories of coincidence and chance, and intersections and strange things told, and which is which and who only knows? And we generally say, "Well, if that was in a movie, I wouldn't believe it." Someone's so-and-so met someone else's so-and-so and so on. And it is in the humble opinion of this narrator that strange things happen all the time. And so it goes, and so it goes. And the book says, "We may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us."

These things happen all the time. Its just big when they happen to you or around you.

The tighter you close your fist, the faster the sand slips out.

Let go.

And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
And says at last just as the time bell rings
thank you goodnight now its time to go home
And he makes it fast with one more thing
we were the sultans of swing

Careful.

Be very VERY very VERY very VERY V-E-R-Y careful what you wish for.


You might actually get it.



Btw, Did I remind you to be very careful what you wish for?

PJ updates

Two noteworthy ones.


This is an Original:



Q> While landing in which country, are your flights ALWAYS bound to be late?

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A> Qatar .... (Aaap Qatar mein hain, kripiya pratiksha keejiye) :D :D :D



This is heard elsewhere and properly reframed:


Q> Who was the first Indian woman to fly abroad?
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A> Mrs. Sita Ramachandra ;-)

Deadly no? Me thinks so too... :D :D :D

Mostly harmless, Huh?

In the beginning the Universe was created.

This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

Ka-Ching!!!

Clean shaven. Red and Black are the colours. Sharp. Capped. Has 3 Shiny golden paper stars pinned on his chest. There is a place for a fourth.

Rugged. Facial hair bordering between a stuble and full-blown beard. A kurta which was once white and had buttons. One sleeve rolled up showing a black thread holding a tiny brass cylinder wrapped around the arm.

Good evening sir, How may I help you?

Boliye saahab... kya lenge?

Hmmm ... *squints at the bright candy-coloured menus* ... One McVeggie burger please..

Hmmm ... *grimaces for effect* ... Hmmmm.... Bhindi kaise diya?

Would like extra cheese and lettuce with it? Medium fries or large?

Leejiye saab... Bahut badhiya hai... *snaps the end* ... ekdum taaza hai... leejiye?

I'll take the extra cheese and lettuce, no fries please.

Haan haan... Theek hai... Kaisa diya??

That will be Rs.62 please.

12 rupaiah ka aadha kilo hai saab... bilkul badhiya hai... kitna doon?

Hmmm... *ogles at more of the graphics* Can I have a strawberry milkshake with that, please?

Kis baat ka 12 rupaiah bol rahe ho yaar? Purana maal hai bilul... Chalo... Aadha kilo daal do. Ek kheera, Do nimbu aur thoda dania-kadipatha bhi de dena.

Sure sir, That will be Rs.108. Will that be all sir?

Haan saab, mein nikalta hoon saab... Ekdum badhiya.

Yes, Thank you.

Arre re ruko... Mein khud nikal leta hoon.

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Sir, your order. One McVeggie burger. Extra Cheese and lettuce. One straberry milkshake.

Leejiye saab. 19 rupaiah hua.

Thanks. I don't have change. Can u break a 500 please?

19 rupaiah?? Kiska ??? 16 rupaiah mein kar do sab. Masala ka thodi koi paisa leta hai?

Sure sir. Do you have 3 rupees?

Arre saab... 12 ka bhindi. 3 ka kheera. 3 rupaiah Nimbu aur Ek rupaiah Masala ka.

Sure. Here.

Arre kuch nahi... 16 rupaiah mein kar do sab. Yeh lo 10... aur yeh 5 aur Yeh 1. Ho gaya 16.

Here's your change. 392 Rupees. Thank you for coming to McDonald's. Have a nice meal.

Deejiye... Leejiye sabzi.

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I realised I was being the confused bourgeois through and through. Aren't our perspectives misplaced? Highly skewed? We silently endure the facade. But we not only ignore, we exploit the reality.

"All men are born equal"... Yeah right! Try telling that without any guilt deep within.